Leveraging SAP Crystal Reports for Powerful Sales, Purchasing, and Other Operational Reports

Leveraging SAP Crystal Reports for Powerful Sales, Purchasing, and Other Operational Reports Stephanie Huber Consultancy by Kingfisher 2012 Wellesley Information Services. All rights reserved.

In This Session Learn how to: Locate your data in SAP Build powerful Crystal Reports from all areas of your SAP ERP system Optimize the performance of your Crystal Reports Effectively administer reports at an enterprise level with little overhead 1

What We ll Cover Use case for reporting off of SAP ECC using Crystal Reports Systematic approach for locating your data in SAP Process of pulling SAP data and function modules into Crystal Reports Strengthen SAP reports with data from external systems Enrich SAP data by adding important information and utilizing conditional formatting Tips and tricks for optimizing report performance Effectively administer Crystal Reports Wrap-up 2

Why Report on SAP ERP? Enterprise reporting needs not met Increase time-to-value for SAP ERP investment Custom ABAP is costly and expensive to maintain SAP NetWeaver BW or data warehouse not up and running BEx queries not written 3

Use Case: SAP Sales Report T-codes: VA43: Sales Contracts VA03: Sales Orders VA33: Scheduling Agreement Pieces of pertinent data excluded Sales notes lost significant formatting Time spent obtaining signatures and scanning documents 4

SAP Sales Document Data Logo 5

What We ll Cover Use case for reporting off of SAP ECC using Crystal Reports Systematic approach for locating your data in SAP Process of pulling SAP data and function modules into Crystal Reports Strengthen SAP reports with data from external systems Enrich SAP data by adding important information and utilizing conditional formatting Tips and tricks for optimizing report performance Effectively administer Crystal Reports Wrap-up 6

Debugging SAP Session #1: Performance trace t-code ST05 7

Debugging SAP (cont.) Session #2: T-code to debug 8

Execute T-Code Enter applicable input values 9

T-Code Output 10

Deactivate Trace 11

Display Trace 12

Review Trace 13

Query SAP T-Codes: SE11: Transparent Tables, Cluster Tables, Views SE37: Function Modules SE38: Programs 14

Consideration Transparent Tables, Cluster Tables, Views SQL Trace does not give table join information Query the tables and views to examine the data and determine the appropriate table joins 15

What We ll Cover Use case for reporting off of SAP ECC using Crystal Reports Systematic approach for locating your data in SAP Process of pulling SAP data and function modules into Crystal Reports Strengthen SAP reports with data from external systems Enrich SAP data by adding important information and utilizing conditional formatting Tips and tricks for optimizing report performance Effectively administer Crystal Reports Wrap-up 16

System Requirements for SAP XI 3.X SAP Crystal Reports 2008 SAP GUI SAP Java Connector SAP BusinessObjects Enterprise XI 3.X Crystal Reports 2008 SAP Integration Kit for BusinessObjects 17

System Requirements for 4.0 SAP Crystal Reports 2011 SAP Crystal Reports for Enterprise SAP BusinessObjects Enterprise 4.0 SAP client tools 18

SAP Connection in Crystal Reports 19

Available SAP Systems 20

SAP Client and Credentials 21

Establish Connection with SAP 22

SAP Table, Cluster, or Function 23

Search SAP 24

SAP Table Name 25

Refresh 26

Select Table 27

Table Joins 28

Function Modules Function modules are procedures defined in special ABAP programs Many reports use function modules to return calculated values A function module to calculate the invoice due date based on the customer s payment terms The challenge is determining which transparent tables serve as inputs to the function module 29

SAP Function Module 30

Function Module Inputs 31

Function Module Output Display the function module output or link the function module output to another transparent table Function modules may be the only way to join specific tables 32

Create Report with SAP Data 33

Use Case: Outcome SAP report formatting customized per corporate standards Unnecessary data is removed Required/desired data is added Consolidated multiple t-codes into a single Crystal Report 34

What We ll Cover Use case for reporting off of SAP ECC using Crystal Reports Systematic approach for locating your data in SAP Process of pulling SAP data and function modules into Crystal Reports Strengthen SAP reports with data from external systems Enrich SAP data by adding important information and utilizing conditional formatting Tips and tricks for optimizing report performance Effectively administer Crystal Reports Wrap-up 35

Multiple Datasources in SAP BusinessObjects 4.0 New universe files can support multiple datasources Data federator does not exist in the SAP BusinessObjects 4.0 platform but federator capabilities exist in the form of multisource universes SAP Crystal Reports 2011 and Crystal Reports for Enterprise can both connect to SAP ERP via the new UNX files NOTE: SAP Crystal Reports 2011 does not support SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.0 universes 36

Actuals Versus External Budgets Users may need to compare financial actuals with external budgets Actuals FI Module Budgets External file 37

Lab Results and External Production Control Data Users may need to incorporate production control data with laboratory test results Laboratory Test Results QM Module Production Control Data External database Incorporating external data with SAP data facilitates the flow of information between all business functions inside the boundaries of the organization and manages the connections to outside stakeholders 38

What We ll Cover Use case for reporting off of SAP ECC using Crystal Reports Systematic approach for locating your data in SAP Process of pulling SAP data and function modules into Crystal Reports Strengthen SAP reports with data from external systems Enrich SAP data by adding important information and utilizing conditional formatting Tips and tricks for optimizing report performance Effectively administer Crystal Reports Wrap-up 39

Statistics and Summaries Users may need to add important statistical information to their data Laboratory test results Standard deviation Test specifications Count of test results that do not meet specifications 40

Conditional Formatting from Report Parameters Users may need to highlight pieces of information based on an input value from a parameter Account Receivables Invoices aged past a certain date Invoices greater than X amount Users may want to see the data dynamically grouped Incorporating summaries and formatting enables users and management to consume data quickly, and easily calls out issues that need to be addressed 41

Create Parameter 42

Format Sales Revenue Field 43

Conditionally Format Font Color 44

Formula Syntax 45

Save Conditional Formatting 46

User-Driven Parameter 47

View Report 48

Dynamically Group Report Data 49

Create Parameter 50

Create Formula 51

Formula Syntax 52

Create Report Group 53

Use Formula for Grouping 54

User Driven Parameters 55

View Report 56

What We ll Cover Use case for reporting off of SAP ECC using Crystal Reports Systematic approach for locating your data in SAP Process of pulling SAP data and function modules into Crystal Reports Strengthen SAP reports with data from external systems Enrich SAP data by adding important information and utilizing conditional formatting Tips and tricks for optimizing report performance Effectively administer Crystal Reports Wrap-up 57

Report Design Best Practices Optimize the design of the report by: Link on indexed fields Use correct join type Perform grouping on the server Push record selection to the server Minimize the number of reporting passes Use on-demand sub-reports so they only process during drilldown Delete any unused formulas from the report Perform any calculations prior to Crystal Reports 58

Other Factors on Performance ODBC drivers could be corrupted Options settings (SQL server/database options) CPU/RAM workstation hardware Other programs that are running on the same workstation Network traffic and infrastructure Other database processes running at the same time 59

What We ll Cover Use case for reporting off of SAP ECC using Crystal Reports Systematic approach for locating your data in SAP Process of pulling SAP data and function modules into Crystal Reports Strengthen SAP reports with data from external systems Enrich SAP data by adding important information and utilizing conditional formatting Tips and tricks for optimizing report performance Effectively administer Crystal Reports Wrap-up 60

Event-Based Scheduling Schedule-based events are dependent upon scheduled objects A schedule-based event is triggered when a particular object has been processed When you create this type of event, it can be based on the success or failure of a scheduled object, or it can be based simply on the completion of the job 61

Report Alerts SAP BusinessObjects Enterprise 4.0 offers a new report alert subscription service Report alerts can be shared with all Crystal Reports on the enterprise and are maintained on the enterprise platform 62

Crystal Report Filters Some scheduled jobs require the date parameter values to change If the report needs to be run for the last month on the 1 st of every month, the date parameter values will change every month Use Crystal Report filters in SAP BusinessObjects to systematically change the data parameter values for a report Avoid saving multiple versions of the same report 63

Select Filters 64

Copy Filters The FILTERS contain the parameters for the report, and they need to be modified so the report runs for changing date ranges The easiest way to modify the FILTERS is to copy and paste them in a document where they can be easily viewed 65

Locate the Parameter Locate the date parameter that will be used in the scheduled job, i.e., Sample Date, Login Date, etc. All parameters are in the following format: {?parameter name} 66

Modify Filters Delete all of the syntax except for the database field 67

Enter Crystal Syntax for Dynamic Date Parameters Enter the appropriate Crystal syntax to systematically change the date parameter values 68

Crystal Syntax Field Syntax Syntax Notes {Database Field} = currentdate = is used for a single date {Database Field} in (currentdate-2) to currentdate 2 days before today to today {Database Field} in (currentdate-30) to currentdate 30 days before today to today {Database Field} in WeekToDateFromSun {Database Field} in MonthToDate {Database Field} in YearToDate {Database Field} in Last7Days {Database Field} in Last4WeeksToSun Last 4 weeks, from Sun to Sat {Database Field} in LastFullWeek Last Sunday to Saturday {Database Field} in LastFullMonth Last full month {Database Field} in AllDatesToToday {Database Field} in AllDatesToYesterday {Database Field} in AllDatesFromToday {Database Field} in AllDatesFromTomorrow {Database Field} in Aged0To30Days {Database Field} in Aged31To60Days {Database Field} in Aged61To90Days {Database Field} in Over90Days {Database Field} in Next30Days {Database Field} in Next31To60Days {Database Field} in Next61To90Days {Database Field} in Next91To365Days {Database Field} in Calendar1stQtr {Database Field} in Calendar2ndQtr {Database Field} in Calendar3rdQtr {Database Field} in Calendar4thQtr {Database Field} in Calendar1stHalf {Database Field} in Calendar2ndHalf {Database Field} in LastYearMTD {Database Field} in LastYearYTD 69

Paste Filters Copy and paste the new FILTERS for the scheduled job 70

Ready to Schedule 71

What We ll Cover Use case for reporting off of SAP ECC using Crystal Reports Systematic approach for locating your data in SAP Process of pulling SAP data and function modules into Crystal Reports Strengthen SAP reports with data from external systems Enrich SAP data by adding important information and utilizing conditional formatting Tips and tricks for optimizing report performance Effectively administer Crystal Reports Wrap-up 72

Additional Resources www.sap.com Follow Solutions SAP Crystal Reports http://wiki.sdn.sap.com/wiki/display/bobj/crystal+reports+2008+ and+bw+-+installation+and+configuration www.sapscene.com/sapscene/accassg.html 73

7 Key Points to Take Home Use the performance trace t-code ST05 to locate your data in SAP Query your SAP data to determine table joins Link SAP tables, clusters, and function modules as any relational datasource Eliminate time and money spent modifying canned SAP reports by creating completely customized Crystal Reports Create user-driven reports by incorporating parameters that drive conditional formatting and even the data layout Optimize report performance in the report design Use event-based scheduling, report alerts, and custom Crystal Report filters to efficiently administer your Crystal Reports 74

Your Turn! How to contact me: Stephanie Huber Stephanie.Huber@Kingfisherinc.com 75

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